Inserted bristle cosmetics brush

ABSTRACT

A cosmetics brush has an applicator rod with a molded polymer applicator core at the distal end thereof, the applicator core having a substantially circular cross-sectional shape, a plurality of spaced apart tuft-receiving blind openings are formed in the applicator core in selected locations thereon and a plurality of bristle tufts each formed of a plurality of bristle fibers folded into a U-shaped configuration about an anchors are received in a respective one of the tuft-receiving blind openings, the anchors extending across the tuft-receiving blind openings and having ends embedded in the applicator core to secure the bristle tufts therein. The blind openings and bristle tufts may be deployed in a variety of configurations, including rows and spirals, and there may be multiple rows and spirals. The bristle tufts may have different bristle fibers.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to my U.S. Provisional Application Ser.No. 60/844,151, filed Sep. 11, 2006.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

The invention herein relates to cosmetics brushes, and particularly tomascara brushes with inserted bristle construction that permits wideflexibility in design parameters and improved performance.

Cosmetics applicators, and particularly mascara brushes, have primarilybeen made in one of two types of construction. By far, the majority ofmascara brushes are made with a twisted wire core that captures bristlefibers. Bristles are thereby deployed in a double helix extending fromthe twisted wire core. Enhancements have been realized by selection ofbristle size and material, the number of bristles, mixtures of bristles,and a wide variety of trim options, but twisted wire brushes still havethe underlying limitation of a fixed helical deployment of the selectedbristles.

The other basic type of construction is molding the entire brush,including the bristles. This is expensive and not entirely successful,particularly in providing desirable characteristics of the bristles.There have also been proposals to provide cosmetics brushes by insertingbristles into an applicator rod; however, this has not resulted in acommercially acceptable brush.

Accordingly, there is a need for improved cosmetics brushes, andespecially mascara brushes, that avoid the design limitations of twistedwire brushes as well as the limitations inherent in molded bristlebrushes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a principal object of the invention herein to provide an improvedcosmetics brush, and particularly an improved mascara brush.

It is a further object of the invention herein to provide an improvedcosmetics brush, and particularly a mascara brush, that achievesflexibility in selecting design parameters.

In carrying out the foregoing objects of the invention herein, cosmeticsbrushes include an applicator rod having an applicator core at distalend thereof, the applicator core having a substantially circular crosssectional shape, and a plurality of tuft-receiving blind openings formedin the applicator core at selected locations. A plurality of bristletufts, each formed of a plurality of bristle fibers folded into aU-shaped configuration under an anchor, are respectively received in thetuft-receiving blind openings formed in the applicator core. The anchorsare embedded in the applicator core across the tuft-receiving openingsto hold the bristle tufts therein.

According to further aspects of the invention, at least some of thetuft-receiving blind openings are offset from nearby blind openingsalong the axis of the applicator core. Blind openings may be provided inrows along the applicator stem, and openings for two, three, four, six,eight or any other number of rows of bristle tufts may be provided. Therows may be evenly spaced about the applicator core, or may be groupedand/or separated. The positioning of tuft-receiving openings and bristletufts is not limited to rows; however, rows are advantageous by forminglongitudinal channels therebetween that accumulate mascara or othercosmetics products.

The bristle tufts may be configured in a spiral path, wherein the pitchof the spiral is selected for good product application. Multiple spiralpaths of bristle tufts may be deployed on the applicator core, and themultiple spiral paths may have independent pitches, pitches that varyalong the length of the paths, opposite pitches, or any other selectedconfiguration. In one aspect, spiral paths may cross.

The tuft-receiving blind openings may be deployed in varying density orproximity, to achieve a greater density and proximity of bristle tuftsin selected areas of a cosmetics brush. The depth of the tuft-receivingopenings is approximately twice the diameter thereof.

In further aspects of the invention, bristle fibers made of variousselected materials and sizes may be utilized for the bristle tufts, andbristle tufts having selected number of bristles are also provided.Different material, size and numbers of bristle fiber may be utilizedfor the bristle tufts in different tuft-receiving openings, including inadjacent tuft-receiving openings.

In further aspects of the invention, the tuft-receiving blind openingsmay be shaped to provide a desired configuration of the extendingbristle tuft. The openings may be molded, machined, cut by EDMtechniques, or otherwise formed in the applicator core. This aspect ofthe invention may be utilized to provide a mascara brush with bristletufts in an application deployment and further bristle tufts in acombing deployment.

The foregoing and other objects and aspects of the invention will inpart be recognized by those skilled in the art and will in part appearfrom the following description of the preferred embodiments and theclaims, taken together with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cosmetics brush, namely a mascarabrush, according to the invention herein;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the applicator rod and applicator coreof the mascara brush of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the mascara brush of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view, partially in section and partiallycutaway, of the applicator rod and applicator core of the mascara brushof FIG. 1, in the orientation of the mascara brush as shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the mascara brush of FIG. 1, rotated90 degrees from the orientation of the mascara brush as shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation view, partially cut away, of the applicatorrod and applicator core of the mascara brush of FIG. 1, in to theorientation of the mascara brush as shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an end view of the mascara brush of FIG. 1 in the orientationof the mascara brush as shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the applicator core of themascara brush of FIG. 1, taken along the lines 8-8 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the mascara brush of FIG. 1,being assembled;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary view of the mascara brush of FIG. 1, showing amounted bristle tuft;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary sectional view of the mascara brush of FIG. 1,taken along the lines 11-11 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a wiper for the mascara brush of FIG.1;

FIG. 13 is a bottom view of the wiper of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a sectional view of the wiper of FIG. 12, taken along thelines 14-14 of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of another cosmetics brush, namely amascara brush, according to the invention herein;

FIG. 16 is a side elevation view of the mascara brush of FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is a side elevation view of the applicator rod and applicatorcore of the mascara brush of FIG. 15, in the orientation of the mascarabrush as shown in FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a side elevation view of the mascara brush of FIG. 15, shownrotated 90 degrees from the orientation of the mascara brush as shown inFIG. 16;

FIG. 19 is a side elevation view, partially cut away, of the applicatorrod and applicator core of the mascara brush of FIG. 15, in theorientation of the mascara brush as shown in FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is an end view of the mascara brush of FIG. 15 in theorientation of the mascara brush as shown in FIG. 16;

FIG. 21 is a cross sectional view of the applicator core of the mascarabrush of FIG. 15, taken along the lines 21-21 of FIG. 17;

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a wiper for the mascara brush of FIG.15;

FIG. 23 is a bottom view of the wiper of FIG. 22;

FIG. 24 is a sectional view of the wiper of FIG. 22, taken along thelines 24-24 of FIG. 23;

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of another cosmetics brush, namely amascara brush, according to the invention herein;

FIG. 26 is a fragmentary perspective view of the mascara brush of FIG.25 being assembled;

FIG. 27 is a side elevation view of the mascara brush of FIG. 25;

FIG. 28 is an end view of the mascara brush of FIG. 25;

FIG. 29 is a top fragmentary view of the applicator rod and applicatorcore of the mascara brush of FIG. 25;

FIG. 30 is a bottom fragmentary view of the applicator rod andapplicator core of the mascara brush of FIG. 25;

FIG. 31 is a sectional view of the applicator rod of the mascara brushof FIG. 25, taken along the lines 31-31 of FIG. 29;

FIG. 32 is a perspective view of a wiper for the mascara brush of FIG.25;

FIG. 33 is a bottom view of the wiper of FIG. 32;

FIG. 34 is a perspective view of another cosmetics brush, namely amascara brush, according to the invention herein;

FIG. 35 is a side elevation view of the mascara brush of FIG. 34;

FIG. 36 is another side elevation view of the mascara brush of FIG. 34,rotated 90 degrees from the orientation of the mascara brush shown inFIG. 35;

FIG. 37 is an end view of the mascara brush of FIG. 34;

FIG. 38 is a perspective view of another cosmetics brush, namely amascara brush, according to the invention herein.

FIG. 39 is a side elevation view of the mascara brush of FIG. 38;

FIG. 40 is a side elevation view of the mascara brush of FIG. 38,rotated 90 degrees from the orientation of the mascara brush shown inFIG. 39;

FIG. 41 is an end view of the mascara brush of FIG. 38;

FIG. 42 is a perspective view of another cosmetics brush, namely amascara brush, according to the invention herein;

FIG. 43 is a side elevation view of the mascara brush of FIG. 42;

FIG. 44 is a side elevation view of the mascara brush of FIG. 42,rotated 90 degrees from the orientation of the mascara brush shown inFIG. 43;

FIG. 45 is an end view of the mascara brush of FIG. 42;

FIG. 46 is a perspective view of another cosmetics brush, namely amascara brush, according to the invention herein;

FIG. 47 is a side elevation view of the mascara brush of FIG. 46;

FIG. 48 is an end view of the mascara brush of FIG. 46;

FIG. 49 is a fragmentary sectional view of the mascara brush of FIG. 46,taken along the lines 49-49 of FIG. 48;

FIG. 50 is a fragmentary sectional view of the mascara brush of FIG. 46,taken along the lines 50-50 of FIG. 48; and

FIG. 51 is a fragmentary sectional view of the mascara brush of FIG. 46,taken along the lines 51-51 of FIG. 46.

The same reference numerals refer to the same elements throughout thevarious Figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to FIGS. 1-11, a cosmetics brush 10, which is moreparticularly a mascara brush, generally comprises an applicator rod 12extending from a head 14 to an applicator core 16 at the distal end ofthe applicator rod 12, with a plurality of bristle tufts 20 inserted andsecured in the applicator core 16. With reference to FIGS. 3, 5 and 7,the bristle tufts 20 are arranged in six rows 22-27 extending along theaxis of the applicator rod 12 and applicator core 16. The applicatorcore 16 is characterized by a substantially circular cross sectionalshape, permitting multiple design options in positioning the bristletufts 20, as will become apparent from the description of the mascarabrush 10 and the other cosmetics applicators/mascara brushes describedbelow.

With reference to FIGS. 2, 4, 6 and 8, the applicator rod 12 and thehead 14 are integrally molded, with the head 14 being sized forinsertion into the cap of a cosmetics package, as is well known in theart. The head 14 may be of any desired configuration to mount to a cap,and the head 14 may be a simple rod end for insertion in an opening in acap. The applicator core 16 is preferably integral with the applicatorrod 12, the applicator core 16 being the distal portion of theapplicator rod 12 having bristle tufts 20 secured in tuft-receivingblind openings 34 formed therein. The applicator core 16 may also bemolded as a separate piece and attached to the applicator rod 12, ifdesired. The preferred materials for the applicator core 16 arepolypropylene, acetal, ABS, PVC and nylon, and acetal and polypropyleneare, for instance, well adapted for the formation of the tuft-receivingblind openings 34 and for receiving and retaining the bristle tufts 20therein. The materials for the applicator rod 12 and applicator core 16are, of course, the same when the applicator rod 12 and applicator core16 are integral, and may be any desired moldable material if theapplicator rod 12 and applicator core 16 are formed in individual parts.The applicator core 16 has a substantially circular cross-sectionalshape and a diameter D_(A) of 0.141 inches (3.58 mm), and may be in arange of from about 0.12 inches (3.04 mm) to about 0.19 inches (4.83mm).

The rows 22-27 of bristle tufts 20 are spaced at 60 degree intervalsabout the applicator core 16, as best seen in FIG. 7. Two of the rows 24and 27 have ten bristle tufts 20, and the remaining rows 22, 23, 25 and26 have nine bristle tufts 20. The bristle tufts 20 of each of the rowsare staggered or axially offset with respect to the bristle tufts 20 ofadjacent rows as best seen from the offsets O in the positions of thetuft-receiving blind openings 34 shown in FIGS. 4 and 6 and more fullyset forth below. This achieves a uniform distribution of bristles aboutand along the applicator core 16.

With reference to FIGS. 9-11, each bristle tuft 20 is formed of aplurality of bristle fibers 30 which are folded under an anchor 32 intoa U-shaped configuration and inserted in a blind opening 34 formed inthe applicator core 16. The anchor 32 seats in the applicator core 16across the blind opening 34 and clamps the bristle fibers to the bottomof the blind opening 34, to secure the bristle tuft 20 in the applicatorcore 16. Because of the U-shaped configuration of the bristle fibers 30,each bristle fiber 30 forms two bristles 36 of a bristle tuft 20, eachbristle 36 having a bristle end or tip 38.

With reference to FIGS. 10 and 11, one of the openings 34 having abristle tuft 20 mounted therein is shown. The opening 34 is formedradially in the applicator core 16, which has a circular cross sectionwith a diameter D_(A) of 0.141 inches (3.58 mm). The opening 34 has adiameter D_(O) of 0.031 inches (0.80 mm) and a depth D_(D) ofapproximately 0.062 inches (1.6 mm). It is preferred that the opening 34have a depth D_(D) of approximately twice the diameter D_(O) thereof,for holding the bristle fibers 30 and anchor 32.

The openings 34 may be formed in the applicator core 16 in one ofseveral ways. First, the openings 34 may be formed as a part of themolding process when the applicator core 16 is molded, and theapplicator core 16 and openings 34 of mascara brush 10 are formed bymolding. This has the advantage of providing pre-formed openings thatare available for inserting bristle tufts 20, thus eliminating anadditional step of forming the openings immediately prior to insertingbristle tufts 20. However, molds for forming an applicator core 16 withopenings 34 molded therein are expensive and provide pre-selected fixedlocations of the openings 34, such that forming the openings 34 by amolding process is generally cost effective only when a large number ofmascara brushes of a particular design will be manufactured. A secondway of forming the openings 34 is by machining or drilling, and theopenings 34 can be drilled by processing machinery that is also used ininserting the bristle tufts. The processing machinery generally has tooperate at lower speeds when a drilling step is included, with aconsequent lower production rate; however, the positions of the openingscan be programmed and hence easily adjusted, such that drilling theopenings permits making mascara brushes of various designs withoutinvestment in multiple molds. As a variation of drilling, the openingscan also be performed by hot electrode cutting techniques, also known asEDM, which have the further advantage of achieving openings of variousshapes.

With reference to FIGS. 9-11, the bristle tufts 20 of mascara brush 10are formed from bristle fibers 30 that are folded into a U-shapedconfiguration, wherein each individual fiber forms two bristles 36 withthe bristle ends 38. In the mascara brush 10, the bristles are 0.006inch diameter hollow nylon fiber, and seven bristle fibers 30 are usedto provide fourteen bristles 36 per bristle tuft 20. A tolerance of ±1bristle fiber per opening is acceptable. Seven fibers and fourteenbristles result in a moderately bushy bristle tuft, with some flaring.The anchor 32 secures the bristle fibers to the bottom of the blindopening 34, so the opening 34 accommodates from a few bristles to asmany as can be packed in. It will, therefore, be understood thatbristles of various sizes and materials may be utilized with theselection of bristle size and material and the number of bristles beingmade to work with particular cosmetic product formulations. Forinstance, nylon, polypropylene, ECT or other polymers, and steel, hairand other natural fibers may be used as bristle material. The bristlefibers may be solid, hollow, wavy, grooved or have any otherconfiguration now known or yet to be developed, and may be furthermodified such as by having milled or split bristle ends. The bristlefibers may be thin, e.g. on the order of 0.0025 inches, or may be thick,e.g. on the order of 0.010 inches or more.

The bristle fibers and number of bristles in each bristle tuft may bevaried from opening 34 to opening 34. Thus, the bristle tufts 20 in eachrow 22-28 of bristle tufts may have a different makeup along the row.Also, the makeup of the bristle tufts 20 may be varied from row to row.Additionally, differing bristle tufts 20 may be provided in differentareas or zones of the applicator core 16. The ability to select thecharacteristics of each bristle tuft and to place selected bristle tuftsin desired locations on the applicator core 16 is a major improvementover twisted wire brushes.

Still referring to FIGS. 9-11, the bristle fibers 30 forming the bristletufts 20 are held in the openings 34 by a corresponding plurality ofanchors 32. Anchors 32 are preferably cut from brass ribbon stock, andhave a rectilinear shape with dimensions of about 0.0393 inches (1 mm)in height H, 0.046 inches (1.168 mm) in length L, and 0.0059 inches(0.15 mm) in thickness T when used with an opening 34 having a diameterof 0.031 inches (0.78 mm) and depth of 0.062 inches (1.6 mm). Thus, eachend of the anchor 32 extends beyond the side walls of an opening 34 byabout 0.008 inches (0.2 mm) and the ends of the anchor are pressed intothe applicator core material to secure the anchor and clamp the bristlefibers 30 against the bottom of the opening 34. The thickness T of theanchor is thin with respect to the height, with the thickness T.preferably about 10-20% of the height H. This permits the anchor to beinserted in the applicator core 16 with minimal distortion of theopening 34 and provides ample room for bristles. In FIGS. 10 and 11, thelength L of anchor 32 is shown generally aligned with the axis of theapplicator rod 12 and applicator core 16, but it may be placed in otherorientations as well, particularly to facilitate the positioning andproximity of openings 34 in design variations. It will also beunderstood that the size of opening 34 may be varied, particularly toaccommodate fewer or thinner bristle fibers, and that the size of anchor32 is selected to cooperate with the dimensions of the opening 34 inwhich it is inserted.

With reference to FIGS. 4 and 6, the openings 34 in the rows 22-27 ofthe mascara brush 10 are spaced apart from adjacent openings in the samerow by spacing S of approximately 0.106 inches (2.7 mm). The openings 34in one row are also offset with respect to openings 34 in adjacent rows.To illustrate, an opening 34 a in row 23 is offset by offset distance Ofrom opening 34 b in row 24, offset distance O being 0.035 inches (0.9mm). The offset O is both a design choice to achieve a desireddistribution of bristles by locating bristle tufts 20 in desiredlocations and also for purposes of maintaining the strength of theapplicator core 16, keeping in mind that the applicator core has adiameter D_(A) of 0.141 inches (3.58 mm) and the openings have a depthof 0.062 inches (1.6 mm), such that two juxtaposed openings leave asmall amount of applicator core material between them as best seen inFIG. 8. When a larger diameter applicator core is utilized, or whenopenings of lesser depth are utilized, all of the openings may bejuxtaposed or overlapped, if desired, for purposes of selecting bristletuft placement.

The ends 38 of the bristles 36 are trimmed to provide bristles 36 of adesired length, which in the mascara brush 10 described is 0.13 inches(3.3 mm). Those skilled in the art will recognize that the length, typeand number of bristles may be changed, with corresponding adjustments tothe opening size if necessary to properly hold the selected bristles, asrequired to satisfactorily apply mascaras or other cosmetics havingvarious properties, including particularly the viscosity thereof.

In summary, the mascara brush 10 has an applicator rod 12 with anapplicator core 16 at the distal end thereof. Six rows 22-27 of bristletufts 20 are deployed in blind openings 34 and extend outwardly from theapplicator core 16. Each bristle tuft has a population of seven (plus orminus due to manufacturing tolerance) bristle fibers 30 formed in a U onan anchor 32 to present about fourteen bristles 36 with distal bristleends 38. The bristle material is 0.06 inch hollow nylon and is trimmedto a length of 0.13 inches. This brush is suitable for many mascaraformulations, but can easily be modified in the kind, number and lengthof the bristles in each bristle tuft 20, and can be further modified bypositioning of the openings 34 in which the bristle tufts 20 arereceived. While the mascara brush 10 has openings 34 and bristle tufts20 deployed in rows, they may be deployed in any pattern about theapplicator core 10, and because the applicator core 10 has a circularcross section, the bristles may have uniformity of length about theapplicator core 16 wherever they are placed.

The mascara brush 10 has many advantages, among which are consistency ofbristle placement and bristle population, and accuracy in transformingdesign parameters into production brushes. The consistency of bristlepopulation and placement achieves a brush that permits eyelashes to flowthrough the bristles smoothly, enhancing product transfer from thebristles to eyelashes. The control over placement of bristle tufts maybe used to eliminate the inherent pitch of helical bristle rowsassociated with the twisted wire mascara brushes, and this alsocontributes to smooth flow through interaction between the eyelashes andbristles. When the bristle tufts are configured in longitudinal rows,channels are formed between the longitudinal rows in which a supply ofmascara accumulates. This functions to maintain a supply of product forapplication and to maintain the bristles in a moist condition which isnecessary for transfer of mascara to eyelashes. Because the bristles aremaintained in moist condition and do not dry out quickly, several passesof the brush through the eyelashes can be made without reloading thebrush, with each subsequent pass adding a thin additional coat ofmascara while also providing combining action, which is a desirableattribute in applying mascara.

Mascara brushes are inserted into a bottle having the mascara storedtherein, and are withdrawn from the bottle with a supply of mascara tobe applied. A wiper is positioned at the neck of the bottle to wipeexcess mascara from the brush as it is withdrawn and also to seal orsubstantially seal against the applicator rod when the bottle is closed.FIGS. 12-14 illustrate a wiper 40 for use with the mascara brush 10. Thewiper 40 is characterized by a 6 point star-shaped wiper opening 42defined by pentahedral guides 44. The bases of the pentahedral guides 44are integral with the cylindrical sidewall 46 of the wiper 40 and thepentahedral guides 44 form a center of opening 42 sized to accommodatethe applicator rod 12. The rows 22-27 of bristle tufts 20 of the mascarabrush 10 are aligned by the pentahedral guides 44 so that the rows ofbristle tufts pass through the points of the six-pointed star opening42, with the pentahedral guides 44 removing excess mascara from thebristles 36 as the mascara brush 10 is withdrawn.

Another cosmetics applicator in the form of a mascara brush 60 is shownin FIGS. 15-21. The mascara brush 60 generally comprises an applicatorrod 62 having a head 64 and an applicator core 66 on the distal endthereof. The applicator rod 62 and head 64 are the same or similar tothe applicator rod 12 and head 14 of mascara brush 10 described above,and may be made from the same selection of materials and by the sametechniques.

The mascara brush 60 further includes bristle tufts 70, mounted in eightlongitudinal rows 72-79 in openings 84 in applicator core 66, anddeployed at 45 degree intervals about the applicator core 66, which hasa substantially circular cross section.

Each of the rows 72-79 has six bristle tufts 70 inserted in six openings84. The diameter D_(O) of openings 84 is 0.031 inches (0.78 mm) and thedepth D_(D) is 0.062 (1.56 mm) inches. The openings 84 in each row 72-79are spaced apart by a distance S of 0.157 inches (4 mm). Correspondingopenings in adjacent rows are staggered or offset by distance O, whichis 0.039 inches (1 mm). The rod and applicator core have a diameterD_(A) of 0.141 inches (3.58 mm).

The bristle tufts 70 are each formed of six bristle fibers 80 folded andanchored as described above to provide twelve bristles per tuft. Thebristle fibers 80 are preferably 0.006 inch hollow nylon fiber and aretrimmed to a length of 0.14 inches (3.6 mm). Thus, the mascara brush 60has different characteristics than the mascara brush 10 described above,because of the increased number of rows of bristle tufts 70 with fewerbut slightly longer bristles per tuft and the difference in spacingbetween the bristle tufts 70 in the rows 72-79. The design flexibilityin providing cosmetics brushes with different characteristics isfacilitated by the circular cross section of the applicator cores 16 and66, and the blind openings 34 and 84 for mounting bristle tufts 20 and70, which permits bristle tufts to be located anywhere on the surface ofan applicator core independently of other bristle tufts. Furtherdifferences may be implemented by selection of materials for bristlefibers and the length and trim of the bristles. Providing the differentdesign parameters is simply a matter of the placement, size, spacing andnumber of openings, and the material types, sizes, numbers and lengthsof bristles to be inserted therein. This mascara brush 60 illustratesthe flexibility of providing mascara brushes having different designparameters, but is only representative of one of the many variationsthat may be achieved. Brushes with the different design parameters enjoythe advantages discussed herein.

With reference to FIGS. 22-24, a wiper 90 is provided for the mascarabrush 60. It is similar to the wiper 40 described above for mascarabrush 10, but has an eight-pointed star shaped opening 92 defined byeight spaced apart pentahedral guides 94. The guides 94 align the rows72-79 of bristle tufts 70 with the points of the star shaped opening 92and the wiper 90 removes excess mascara from the bristle tufts 70 as themascara brush 60 is pulled through the wiper 90.

FIGS. 26-31 illustrate another cosmetics applicator 100 according theinvention herein, which is a combination mascara brush and comb. Thecosmetics applicator 100 generally comprises an applicator rod 102, ahead 104 and an applicator core 106. The applicator rod 102 andapplicator core 106 are integrally molded and have a substantiallycircular cross sectional shape, with a diameter D_(A) of about 0.141inches. The applicator core 106 has a small flat face 108, which is anoptional feature of an applicator core that nevertheless has asubstantially circular cross sectional shape. The applicator core 106has a row 112 of bristle tufts 110 inserted therein and togetherconfigured as a brush for applying mascara, and a second row 116 ofbristle tufts 114 together configured as a comb for separating eyelashesafter mascara has been applied. The cosmetics applicator 100 therebyalso demonstrates the flexibility in using the technique of insertingbristle tufts into tuft-receiving openings in an applicator core toprovide unique design parameters; namely, different opening and bristletuft distributions in different areas or zones of a brush, and couldalso use different bristle fibers in different areas or zones of abrush.

The applicator rod 102 and head 104 are preferably integrally molded andthe head 104 is adapted for insertion into the cap of a cosmeticsbottle. The applicator core 106 is preferably integrally molded at thedistal end of the applicator rod 102, but may be a separately moldedpiece attached to the applicator rod 102, if desired. As noted above,the applicator core 106 has a substantially circular cross section andthe applicator rod 102 has the same circular cross section, forfacilitating wiping as well as accommodating the brush design.

The brush 112 of the cosmetics applicator 100 is provided by the row ofbristle tufts 110. As best seen in FIGS. 26, 27 and 30, each bristletuft 110 is elongated generally along the axis of the applicator rod 102and applicator core 106. This is achieved by providing a row 120 ofelongated tuft-receiving blind openings 122 in the applicator core 106.With reference to FIGS. 30 and 31, eleven tuft-receiving openings 122are provided. Each opening is 122 has a width W_(O) of 0.016 inches (0.4mm) and a length L_(O) of 0.063 inches (1.60 mm), and a depth D_(D) ofapproximately 0.067 inches (1.7 mm). The openings 122 are deployed atangle A of about 17 degrees with respect to the axis of the applicatorrod 102 and the applicator core 106, so that an end 124 of onetuft-receiving opening 122 is axially adjacent an end 126 of the nextadjacent tuft-receiving opening 122. The angle A may be varied, asdesired, but is preferably selected so that the openings are generallyaligned with the longitudinal axis of the core. This configurationprovides a substantially continuous population of bristles forming brush112 along the length of the applicator core 106, as seen in FIG. 27, aswell as other Figs., and is an example of how shaped openings, such aselongated openings 122, can be used to establish a desired deployment ofbristles.

With reference to FIG. 26, the bristle tufts 110 are formed by bendingbristle fibers under an anchor 130 and inserting the fibers and anchor130 into an opening 122. In the cosmetics applicator 100, each brushbristle tuft 110 is made of 12-14 bristle fibers 128, providing 24-28bristles 129, i.e. each bristle fiber 128 forms two bristles 129extending from under the anchor 130. The bristle fibers are 0.006 inchhollow nylon. Each anchor 130 has a length L of 0.032 inches (0.8 mm)and is oriented crosswise with respect to the elongated openings 122 inwhich it is inserted, i.e. the anchors extend 0.008 inches beyond theends of the openings 122 on each side. This is desirable to achieve firmseating of the anchors 130 with minimal distortion of the applicatorcore 106. After the bristle tufts have been inserted, the bristles aretrimmed to a desirable length, which may be about 0.13 inches (3.3 mm).

The comb function of the cosmetics applicator 100 is provided by the row116 of bristle tufts 114 deployed on the diametrically opposite side ofthe applicator rod 102 and applicator core 106 from the brush row 112 ofbristle tufts 110. Each comb bristle tuft 114 is elongated, with thelong dimension of the comb bristle tufts 114 oriented across the axis ofthe applicator core 106, as best seen in FIGS. 29 and 31.

This is achieved by providing a row of elongated comb tuft-receivingopenings 132 wherein each opening has a width W_(O) of about 0.016inches (0.4 mm) and a length L of about 0.063 inches (1.6 mm). Theelongated comb tuft-receiving openings 132 are deployed transverse tothe axis of the applicator core 106. The depth D_(D) of the comb bristletuft openings 132 is about 0.067 inches (1.7 mm). The comb bristle tuftopenings 132 are spaced apart distance S, which is about 0.079 inches(2.00 mm) on center. As best seen in FIG. 26, each comb bristle tuft 114is formed by bending a plurality of bristle fibers 136 about an anchor134, and inserting the folded bristle fibers and anchor 134 into anopening 132, as described above. The bristle fibers are 0.006 inchhollow nylon fiber, and 12-14 bristle fibers are used providing 24-28bristles 138 in each inserted comb bristle tuft 114. The anchor 134 hasa length of about 0.032 inches, extending 0.008 inches on either side ofopening 132. A stiffer or more flexible comb function may be provided byselecting different bristle materials or sizes.

The row 112 of brush bristle tufts 110 of cosmetics applicator 100provide a substantial continuous distribution of bristles along thelength of the applicator core 106, which is well-suited for applyingmascara. The row 116 comb bristle tufts 114 of the cosmetics applicator100 are spaced-apart, and are therefore especially well adapted forcombing eyelashes.

With reference to FIGS. 32 and 33, a wiper 140 is shown having aninternal configuration complementary to the cosmetics applicator 100.Thus, the wiper 140 defines a wiper opening 142 having a rounded centralportion 144 for receiving the rod 102 and two diametrically extendingwiper slots 146, 148 for wiping the brush bristle tufts 110 and combbristle tufts 114. The slots 146, 148 have the same size, so that thecosmetics applicator 100 may be inserted with the comb 116 or brush 110in either slot. However, the slots 146, 148 act more vigorously on thecomb bristle tufts 114 because they are oriented across the slots,wherein the comb 114 is wiped more cleanly and carries less mascara, asis compatible with the combing function.

FIGS. 34-51 illustrate further variants of cosmetics brushes made byinserting bristle tufts into tuft-receiving blind openings in anapplicator core having a substantially circular cross section. Thus, thecosmetic brushes shown in FIGS. 34-51 also demonstrate to the freedom ofdesign parameters achieved by this construction.

FIGS. 34-37 depict a mascara brush 150, having an applicator rod 152extending from a head 154 with an applicator core 156 at the distal endthereof. The applicator core has a four rows 160-163 of bristle tufts.

Rows 160 and 162 are diametrically opposed, and are each made up ofbristle tufts 164 spaced apart along the axis of the applicator core156. Bristle tufts 164 are made of bristle fibers folded about an anchorand secured in openings in the applicator core 156, as discussed above.The bristle fibers are 0.003 inch solid nylon, and about 28±2 bristlefibers are inserted in each opening. Thus, there are 52-60 bristles andbristle ends in each bristle tuft 164.

Rows 161 and 163 of bristle tufts are also diametrically opposed to eachother and deployed to 90 degrees about the applicator core 156 from rows160 and 162. The bristle tufts 166 making up of rows 161 and 163 arealso made of bristle fibers folded about an anchor and secured inopenings in the applicator core, as described above, but are made ofdifferent material than the bristle tufts 164. The material for thebristle fibers is preferably 0.004 inch nylon, and about 20±2 bristlefibers are used in each opening, providing about 36-44 bristles andbristle ends, wherein the rows 161, 163 have different productapplication and combining capabilities than the rows 160, 162. It shouldbe noted that the rows 160-163 may also be made of bristle tufts whereinalternate adjacent bristle tufts are made of different bristle fibers,to provide a further design variation in the application and combiningcapabilities of the brush 150.

With reference to FIGS. 38-41, another cosmetics brush, namely, amascara brush 170, is illustrated. The mascara brush 170 also has anapplicator rod 172 with a head 174 at one end thereof and an applicatorcore 176 at the distal end thereof. A first row 180 of bristle tufts 182is deployed in a spiral or helical configuration about the applicatorcore 176. A second row 184 of bristle tufts 186 is also deployed in aspiral or helical path about the applicator core 176, but with anopposite pitch from the first row 180. Therefore, the rows 180 and 184of bristle tufts cross at points C and diverge to leave relatively openareas of the applicator core 176 between the crossing points C. Thebristle tufts may have any desired bristle fibers, and are secured inopenings by anchors, similar to the way bristle tufts are secured inother cosmetics applicators described above.

With reference to FIGS. 42-45, a mascara brush 190 is illustrated,having an applicator rod 192 with a head 194 on one end thereof and anapplicator core 196 on the distal end thereof. As perhaps best seen inFIG. 45, the mascara brush 190 has eight rows 200-207 of bristle tufts210. As best seen in FIGS. 42 and 43, the bristle tufts in each of therows is offset with respect to the bristle tufts of other rows.

The bristle tufts are made of bristle fibers folded over anchors andinserted into tuft-receiving blind openings, as discussed with respectto the other cosmetics applicators. The material for the bristle fibersmay be selected to cooperate with the particular mascara formulationwith which the brush is to be used, and this consideration is veryimportant in selecting a bristle fiber with material for any of thebrushes disclosed herein. The bristle fibers in the mascara brush 190are trimmed so that the brush profile tapers toward the distal end ofthe applicator core.

Another cosmetics brush 220 is shown in FIGS. 46-51. It has anapplicator rod 222 with a head 224 at one end and an applicator core 226of substantially circular cross-section at the distal end. The cosmeticsbrush 220 has three rows 230-232 of bristle tufts adapted forapplication of mascara, and a row 236 of bristle tufts 238 adapted forcombing eyelashes after mascara has been applied thereto.

As best seen in FIG. 48, the central row 231 is made up of alternatingbristle tufts 234 and 235 and extends along the axis of the applicatorrod 222 and applicator core 224. Row 231 is flanked by the rows 230, 232of bristle tufts 234, which are deployed at 45-degree angles to thecentral row 231. This provides a 90-degree sector of bristle tufts,suitable for applying mascara. For this purpose and as shown in FIG. 49,each bristle tuft 234 is formed of twelve (±1) bristle fibers 240 whichare 0.005 inch diameter hollow nylon fibers. The fibers 240 are foldedover anchors 242 and inserted in blind tuft-receiving openings 244, asbest seen in FIG. 49 and similar to the formation and securement ofbristle tufts described above. This creates twenty-four (±2) bristles241 per tuft 234 that are relatively soft and in bushy deployment, forgood application of mascara. The bristle tufts 235, shown in FIG. 51,are made up of six bristle fibers 246 providing twelve bristles 248which are 0.012 inch diameter structured fibers that act to separatelashes during application. Bristle tufts 234 and 235 alternate along row231.

The cosmetics brush 220 has another row 236 of bristle tufts 238, spacedapart and aligned along the axis of the applicator core diametricallyopposite row 231 of bristle tufts 234. Thus, the row 236 of bristletufts 238 is also symmetrically positioned with respect to all threerows 230-232 of bristle tufts 234, 235. The row 236 of bristle tufts 238is positioned for performing a combing function, and is further adaptedto do so by selection of a bristle fiber material stiffer than thebristle fibers 240. With reference to FIG. 50, a bristle tuft 238 hasten (±1) bristle fibers 250 that are 0.008 solid nylon, folded overanchor 242 and inserted into a blind tuft-receiving opening 244 toprovide twenty (±2) bristles 252. The combing bristle tufts 238 may bespaced more closely than is shown in FIGS. 46 and 47, if desired.

Accordingly, cosmetics applicators have been described that admirablyachieve the objects of the invention herein. It will be appreciated thatthe cosmetics applicators described are illustrative of the invention,and that changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scopeof the invention, which is limited only by the following claims.

1. A cosmetics brush comprising: A) an applicator rod having a molded polymer applicator core at the distal end thereof, the applicator core having a substantially circular cross-sectional shape; B) a plurality of spaced apart tuft-receiving blind openings formed in the applicator core in selected locations thereon; and C) a plurality of bristle tufts each formed of a plurality of bristle fibers folded into a U-shaped configuration about an anchor and received in a respective one of the tuft-receiving blind openings, the anchors extending across the tuft-receiving blind openings and having ends embedded in the applicator core to secure the bristle tufts therein.
 2. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 1 wherein the plurality of blind openings have a circular cross section and extend radially inwardly into the applicator core.
 3. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 2 wherein the depth of the blind openings is about two times the diameter of the blind openings.
 4. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 3 wherein the anchors are substantially rectilinear, having a length, height and thickness.
 5. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 4 wherein the anchors have a thickness which is about 10% to 20% of their height.
 6. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 4 wherein the applicator core has an axis and the anchors have their length deployed generally along the axis of the applicator core.
 7. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 6 wherein the holes have a diameter of about 0.03 inches and a depth of about 0.06 inches.
 8. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 7 wherein the anchors have a length of about 0.04 inches, a height of about 0.045 inches and a thickness of about 0.006 inches.
 9. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 8 wherein at least some of the bristle tufts comprise about 12 bristle fibers each having a diameter of about 0.06 inches.
 10. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 8 wherein the bristle tufts comprise bristle fibers each having a diameter in a range of about 0.0025 inches to about 0.012 inches.
 11. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 1 wherein the blind openings are formed by the molded configuration of the applicator core.
 12. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 1 wherein the blind openings are formed by drilling the applicator core.
 13. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 1 wherein the blind openings are formed by EDM process.
 14. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 1 where at least some of the blind openings have a non-circular cross-sectional shape.
 15. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 14 wherein at least some of the openings are elongated.
 16. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 1 wherein the applicator core has a diameter in the range of about 0.120 inches to 0.190 inches.
 17. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 16 wherein the applicator core has a diameter of about 0.140 inches.
 18. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 16 wherein the applicator core is made from one of polypropylene, acetal, ABS, PVC and nylon.
 19. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 1 wherein the applicator core is made from one of polypropylene, acetal, ABS, PVC and nylon.
 20. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 1 wherein the applicator core has a longitudinal axis and some of the plurality of blind openings and bristle tufts are deployed spaced apart in a first row along the longitudinal axis.
 21. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 20 wherein the others of the plurality of blind openings and bristle tufts are deployed in a second row spaced apart along the longitudinal axis of the applicator core, diametrically opposite the first row.
 22. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 21 wherein the blind openings and bristle tufts received therein of the second row are offset with respect to the blind openings and bristle tufts received therein of the first row.
 23. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 20 wherein the blind openings and bristle tufts received therein are deployed in four rows along the longitudinal axis of the applicator core.
 24. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 23 wherein the four rows are deployed at about 90 degree intervals about the applicator core.
 25. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 23 wherein two of the four rows of blind openings of bristle tufts received therein are diametrically opposed and the other two rows of blind openings and bristle tufts received therein are respectively deployed at about 45 degrees from one of the diametrically opposed rows.
 26. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 23 wherein there are more than four rows of blind openings and bristle tufts received therein deployed spaced apart along the axis of the applicator core, and the rows are substantially equally spaced about the applicator core.
 27. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 26 wherein there are six rows of blind openings and bristle tufts received therein.
 28. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 26 wherein there are eight rows of blind openings and bristle tufts received therein.
 29. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 26 wherein the blind openings and bristle tufts received therein of each row are offset from the blind openings and bristle tufts received therein of an adjacent row.
 30. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 21 wherein one of the rows of blind openings comprises elongated blind openings generally aligned with the longitudinal axis of the applicator core, and the second row of blind openings comprises elongated blind openings deployed generally across the longitudinal axis of the applicator core.
 31. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 1 wherein the blind openings and bristle tufts received therein are deployed in at least one spiral row about the applicator core.
 32. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 1 wherein the blind openings and bristle tufts received therein are deployed in at least two spiral rows about the applicator core.
 33. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 32 wherein the two rows have opposite pitches.
 34. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 1 wherein at least some of the bristle tufts have different bristle fibers.
 35. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 34 wherein at least some of blind openings and bristle tufts received therein are deployed spaced apart in two rows along the axis of the applicator core and the bristle tufts of the two rows have different bristle fibers.
 36. A cosmetics brush as defined in claim 1 wherein different areas of the applicator core have different densities of blind openings and bristle tufts received therein. 